Question 1

Of all the isms,expressionism has given rise to the most significant body of modern theatre.

Accepted Answer

Expressionism is a theatrical movement that emerged in the early 20th century and is characterized by its use of exaggerated and distorted forms, intense colors, and symbolic imagery to express inner emotions and experiences. It has had a significant impact on the development of modern theatre, giving rise to a body of work that is both innovative and challenging.

Question 2

Which of the following antirealist movements dominated the theatre during the Cold War era?

Accepted Answer

The theatre of alienation, developed by Bertolt Brecht, was prominent during the Cold War era, emphasizing critical thinking and social change.

Question 3

Surrealism,which means "beyond realism," was invented by Pablo Picasso.

Accepted Answer

Surrealism was a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and it is best known for its visual artworks and writings. The movement was founded by André Breton, not Pablo Picasso. Picasso was associated with Cubism, another avant-garde art movement.

Question 4

Happy Days is a play about two tramps waiting for a happier day and ends very happily.

Accepted Answer

Happy Days is a play by Samuel Beckett that centers around a woman named Winnie, buried up to her waist and then her neck in earth, reflecting on her past and present life, rather than about two tramps waiting for a happier day.

Question 5

Which playwright eschewed realism,romanticism,and rationality to create relentlessly unenlightening plays,saying,"Art has nothing to do with clarity,does not dabble in the clear,and does not make clear?"

Accepted Answer

Samuel Beckett is known for his absurdist plays, which often eschew realism, romanticism, and rationality. He famously said, "Art has nothing to do with clarity, does not dabble in the clear, and does not make clear."

Question 6

How did World War I influence the antirealist theatre? What opinions do you have on the relationship of historical events to the theatre,in terms of responsibility and innovation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How did World War I influence the...

Question 7

Imagine you are directing King Lear by Shakespeare and you wanted to stage it as theatre of the absurd.Write a one- to two-page concept statement covering all the theatrical elements to start a dialogue with your design team.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine you are directing King Lear by...

Question 8

This play presents a parable without a message,revealing a paradigm of human condition in which characters exchange songs,accounts of dreams,and try to make the best of a hopeless situation.

Accepted Answer

Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" is known for its portrayal of the human condition through characters who engage in seemingly meaningless conversations and activities while waiting for someone named Godot, who never arrives. This creates a sense of a hopeless situation without a clear message or resolution, fitting the description provided.

Question 9

You meet Bertolt Brecht in a coffee shop.(He is time traveling. )What questions do you have for him? What is he like,his ideas about the theatre,his theatrical experiences,and so on.Use your imagination!

Accepted Answer

The answer of You meet Bertolt Brecht in a coffee...

Question 10

Because it ritualizes humanity's permanent condition,a play like Happy Days would be considered an example of "holy" theatre and is almost a one-woman show.

Accepted Answer

Happy Days, written by Samuel Beckett, is indeed considered an example of "holy" theatre due to its exploration of existential themes and the human condition, and it primarily focuses on a woman named Winnie, making it almost a one-woman show.

Question 11

Explain how The Hairy Ape shows expressionist principles,and how these principles add to the themes of the play.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how The Hairy Ape shows expressionist...

Question 12

Which director and critic made the distinction between "holy" and "rough" theatres?

Accepted Answer

Peter Brook made the distinction between "holy" and "rough" theatres in his seminal work, "The Empty Space," where he explores different aspects and purposes of theatrical performances.

Question 13

Which movement based itself on the idea that the search for some meaning or purpose in human life can be met only with the immutable irrationality of the universe,making all attempts at understanding futile?

Accepted Answer

Absurdism is the philosophical movement that emphasizes the conflict between human tendencies to seek inherent value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any in a chaotic, irrational universe. This leads to the conclusion that the search for meaning is inherently futile.

Question 14

Brecht's "alienation effect" attempts to bring the audience closer to the inner lives of the characters.

Accepted Answer

Brecht's "alienation effect" aims to prevent the audience from becoming too emotionally involved with the characters, encouraging them to think critically about the play's message instead.

Question 15

An example of a dramatic style in which the theatre itself becomes a theme in the play,rather than simply the vehicle for the drama,is Six Characters in Search of an Author.

Accepted Answer

"Six Characters in Search of an Author" by Luigi Pirandello is a play that breaks the fourth wall and makes the theatre itself a central theme, as characters not written into the play's script appear on stage, seeking an author to complete their story. This meta-theatrical approach directly involves the theatre as more than just a setting, making it a key element of the drama.

Question 16

The term avant-garde means,literally,"the major assault" or "shock troops."

Accepted Answer

The term avant-garde literally means "the major assault" or "shock troops," which implies a sense of being at the forefront or leading an attack.

Question 17

Characters in symbolist drama represent true-to-life individuals.

Accepted Answer

Characters in symbolist drama often represent abstract concepts or archetypal figures rather than true-to-life individuals, focusing on symbolic meaning rather than realistic representation.

Question 18

In the preface to his The Theater and Its Double,Artaud states that "to break through language in order to touch life is to create or recreate the theater." Starting with this quote,explore Artaud's relationship to the spoken and written word.Take a traditional play that you have already studied,such as Prometheus Bound,The Castle of Perseverance,or Romeo and Juliet and explain how it could be staged in the style of the theatre of cruelty.Think of how you would want the playwright's words communicated to your audience.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the preface to his The Theater...

Question 19

George Bernard Shaw's legacy of a witty,unsentimental,and fiercely intelligent verbal style has never been matched by other playwrights.

Accepted Answer

The passage states that "George Bernard Shaw's legacy of a witty, unsentimental, and fiercely intelligent verbal style has never been matched by other playwrights." This means that no other playwright has been able to match Shaw's unique style of writing.

Question 20

Typical themes of the symbolist theatre include the loss of innocence and the futility of communication.

Accepted Answer

Symbolist theatre often explores themes such as the loss of innocence, the futility of communication, the ineffable nature of reality, and the search for deeper meaning, emphasizing the symbolic, suggestive, and evocative over the literal.

Quiz 18: The Modern Theatre: Antirealism